Requirements to get driving license for H4 Visa holders? No SSN?

Getting a driving license is very important for H4 visa holder. As I mentioned, It is not a good idea to carry your passport for ID, it is important to get an official ID. There are some challenges and misconceptions among H4 visa holders on how can they get driving license. I will try to put in few scenarios in some states and hopefully it helps you all. In fact, you do this process to get the driving learners permit.

No SSN for H4 visa holder ? What should you do ?

As you know, H4 visa holders do not get Social Security Number (SSN). But, what you should do is, go to the Social Security Administration office and get a letter from them saying that “You are not eligible for SSN”. You will have to take your Visa, I-94, Passport & H4 papers (May be your spouse’s H1B papers). This letter is very important as you would have to take it to the Drivers license office.

Requirements for H4 Driving license :

This is not the complete list. For the most part, most of the states look for these kinds of documents. Not all of them are mandatory, some are optional. Here is the typical list of documents needed; these correspond to H4 visa holder.

Passport along with Visa

I-94 card.

H4 Approval notice ( I797 form H4)

H1B approval notice of the spouse (I797 form H1B)

Letter from SSN office that you are not eligible for SSN.

Utility Bill ( You can get electricity bill or phone bill on your name).

Rental Lease papers (If you have name on it.

Bank account Statements of US Banks.

Medical Insurance Papers

ITIN of H4 visa holder (Individual tax identification Number)

International Driving license ( if you have one from home country)

Depending on state sometimes they ask for H1B visa holders Passport, SSN and I-94. So, it is a good idea for your spouse to come along with you with documents.

Date of Birth certificate from Home country (in English)

Depending on the state, sometimes they give you ID right away. But some states, just give you a piece of paper and they will mail the Driving license or ID card to your home address in two weeks.

Rules of few states DMVs for H4 visa holders License:

Illinois H4 Visa Driving license situation: Illinois gives options for H4 visa holders to get an instruction permit as well as Driving license. They has something called a Temporary Visitor Driving license Program. Check the DMV website of Illinois Temporary Visitor Program

New York H4 visa holders license : In New York State, it is point system. You need 6 points. Check this document Form ID 44 for Points weightage. You get 4 points for Passport, 1 point for Health insurance and 1 point for Bank Account/ATM card. Sometimes, you can also get 1 point for utility bill too

California H4 Visa holders Driving License : If you are in California, you can schedule an online appointment for office visit by filling out details. The process is pretty standard. If you need application form, you can call the DMV office and ask them to mail the form, then you can fill it at home and carry it. You need to carry the letter from SSA office that you are not eligible for SSN. More info check : Driving license and ID card information

I cannot really put in all the states, I have tried to put in the information of the most frequently asked states. I assume rest of the states are good.

Some things to try if you get Denied for H4 visa Driving license at any DMV :

Sometimes, you may get a NO from some DMV offices. The simple reason could be, they have never done it or the person you have talked to does not know the process and they say a NO straight away. You can do few things to get out of this kind of situation.

Talk to other person in the DMV. Ask you want to talk to the Supervisor or someone else. Be bold and ask it. If you think, you cant, just go at a time when the person you talked to is not helping out and you get to talk to other person.

If you have no good luck with a DMV location, Change the DMV location. Try different DMV. Sometimes, people in a particular DMV location may not know the process, so you are better off trying in multiple locations.

These are some of my thoughts, there is no universal rule for anything. Rules keep changing and sometimes they are strict and all the stuff I wrote above may not work…so, just be aware of the situation…

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Comments ( 88 )

Hi , I am on H4 visa, my spouse is in H1B, Last year 2018 Nov my I797 form is expired, but my spouse’s have I797 till Nov 2019. Now is my question is Can I get driving license based on my spouses I797..¿

I am planning to take the dmv written test for getting the driving permit in Boise. I know that i have to get the SSN denial letter since i don’t have SSN. Is there any validity period for this SSN denial letter so that i would take my written test within that period.

Recently I got new passport with name change. Now my I797 has differenbt name than my new passport. Can I get Driving License with new name? If not what is the process to change name on I797(I94). They are not allowing me to file i539 for name change only.

Hi.. I am on H4 and Our visa will expire on Sep 2016. Its only 5 months for visa expiry now. Can i apply for DL in new jersey? I have all required documents for 6 points. As i know there should be 6 months validity for applying DL. My husband has got visa renewal updates and we have confirmation of visa extension for 3yrs Do i need to submit any other proof for applying DL regarding our Visa extension? If so what proof should i need to provide.

Hi I am also on my H4 and was sent away from the DMV office as my 6 points were not adding up. Can you please tell me how you make your 6 points. I had my passport along with I 94 for 4 points but they were only accepting either the bank statement or the photo ATM card. I am still short of 1 point. Please help

Neha, It may be easier to get an account opened on your name, in that case. You may try to use the college degree with photo or ask them for exact documents they typically require for internationals. Try the NJ DL document selector, it gives all the list

hello, may I know if getting SSN denial letter needs I-94 that is not expired? My concern is when I got my new passport my I-94 also expired along with my old passport but I still have 1 year valid H4 Visa. I wonder if I still can get SSN denial letter with expired i-94? Please thank you……

Hi Saurabh, I consulted local CBP regarding my case and they told me to file for i-539 to extend my I-94 since I still have valid H4 for another 1yr. Just wondering now if getting new SSN denial letter would require valid I-94 though I have old SSN denial letter and iTIN.

Currently I am on f1 visa but I didn’t have ssn. I got my learners permit when I am on h4. Recently I changed to f1. So what my question is can I schedule a drivers road test using my husbands I’d and ssn?

hi, I am planning to apply for my DL, but have absoulutely no proff of address with me. we recently bought a house which is on my husbands name. no utility bills or what-so-ever is on my name. I am on H-4 visa. please guide as to what can i do to get any kind of address proof. thanks, Shruti

Hi , I came to US in 2011 as a dependent in h4 visa. I cleared the Dmv written test and got the temporary license ID in Chicago. Then I got a job and converted my visa from h4 to h1 and moved to Texas in the year 2013 . I visited Dmv for renewal and here again my temp license renewed . Now due to some health reason I am not able to continue my job and now I’m in H4 visa. my temp license is expired now .. My question here is what are all the documents I need to produce in dmv office for my renewal… I have my SSN with me .. Since I am in h4 will they ask for ITIN or SSN iS enough? Also I cleared my written test in 2011 will they ask me to a written test again? Please advice

Soundarya, Every state is different, they may have specific requirements. I suggest you call them or check the DMV website. The general documents like your status, your spouse’s status, ITIN number would be required.

Illinois issues a TVDL(Temp Visitors Drivers License) for H4 visa holders. Documents required are: Passport, 2 address proofs(bank statement, lease, electric bill, etc) and i94. I also carried a SSN denial letter, but they never asked for it. If you are giving a written and road test, make sure you carry the insurance too. TVDL is available only at select locations: 5401 N Elston Ave, Chicago 60630, 5301 W Lexington Ave, Chicago 60644 and 3270 E State Street, Rockford 61108. They take 3 weeks to send it to you in mail and based on your visa, the DL can be valid upto 3 years. I moved from Texas recently and they didn’t have this process. They just issue a normal DL even for H4 holders.

H4 visa holders living in California dont need to get SSN deniel letter to apply for driver license.

Exception to the SSN requirement:

If you are legally present in the US, but ineligible for an SSN, you are exempt from SSN requirements. However, you must still provide an acceptable birth date/legal presence document for any DL/ID card application

I got a situation where my Wife’s H4 approved Petition I-797 along with I-94 is lost . I have applied for Replacement I-797 where there will be no I-94 at the bottom as per USCIS website. But to obtain H4 Driver license in Illinois, DMV asks Approved petition & I-94. I have the original I-94(Card) when I entered US which is already expired now. So, DMV should be fine to allow us to do the written test with Replacement I-797 with original I-94(expired) or Should I need to request a replacement I-94 as well??? Pls advise.

Hi, Here I am in Chicago on H1B visa, my visa will expire in Feb’2015. DMV authorities says that you need at least 6 months valid visa to get driving license. Is there any other option to get driving license?

Ask your employer to extend the petition so that you will get 6 month minimum period which is eligibility for H4 TVDL. or go to Rockford DMV, there I heard they may be lenient in some cases. Try your luck.

I think the 6-month visa validity requirement for H4 in Illinois is outrageous. Depending on the employer’s business, sometimes visas are never valid 6 months or longer because they’re frequently extended for a few months. In our case, my employer is a global consultant agency, and the visas get extended only per client project which changes every 4-5 months. That combined with the Illinois regulations means that my H4 wife cannot get a driver’s license in Illinois. This makes a normal life in the U.S. nearly impossible. They should change this regulation as soon as possible.

hi, I am on H4 visa status in chicago(IL). I took a written test on aug 2013. now the rules have been changed in IL that we need to apply online for appointments for road test. I am trying to book online and also trying the number given in the website, donno its always showing the appointments as booked and the number given is not at all connecting. Can i go directly to the dmv office and apply for a road test? plz lemme know is this possible?

Hi Sri, In case this question is still open, online appointments for tvdl is for individuals without a valid visa. Since you are on H4, you can directly walk into to the dmv office(not all though). The DMV in Chicago North, elston ave issues tvdl on weekdays. You can either apply for an instruction permit or directly go for the road test. Hope this helps. Just have 2 docs for address proof, passport, insurance for the vehicle and i-94 print out from CBP site. Aish

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I am on H4 visa and went to apply for state id in texas. They took my information and tol d rhat they didn’t find my record in homeland security department database. Its been told that they had send a verification request and I will be getting a letter in 10days. I am not sure why they didn’t find my details in homeland security database when it is correct in my I-94 in my passport.

I am on a H1b visa but the rental agreement is in my Friend’s name, with whom I am sharing the apartment. Is it an absolute necessity to have rental lease paper in one’s name before applying for NY state driving license. Thanks

Johnas, As the rules vary from state to state, it is better to look up on DMV NY site to see what the requirements are. Do you have any other address proof like bank statement or utility statement that can be used in lieu of rental agreement? You can also check w/ DMV office itself.

No – Rental agreement is not mandatory. I hope you have your SSN. NY state DMV require 4 point proof if you have SSN (I hope you have one). 3points for your Passport and Visa 1 point for your Credit/Debit card with your name printed on it Additionally, you can show your health insurance card as well, which will add up one more point….

Hi, I m in h1 b visa and my visa has to be renewed in August 2013. I am in Chicago. I am planning to get my driving license here(I have my Indian driving license) .am I eligible to get my driving license here in US when my h1b visa renewing will be in few months. So far my husband didn’t processed for renewing our h1b.(he says one month before renew day we can start our process). Should I wait till my visa is renewed or can I do it right now????

My H1B VISA expired in november 1st 2012.I have applied for VISA extension in July 2012 and received acknowledgement receipt from USCIS. My VISA extension in progress and probably it will be approved in 2 months. I need to take the learner licence test in texas. Is it possible now or should i need to wait until VISA extension get approved.

Saravanan, Most likely they will ask for approval notice for the DL filing. However, it doesn’t hurt going to DMV and finding it out. If it doesn’t work out, you/employer can upgrade the petition to PP so that you get a faster response to your petition.

Hi There, I read this blog and went to DMV for taking drivers permit but got rejected due to shortage of a point. I have US bank account and health insurance so it added up to 2 points, totally I have got 5 points. I have checked with DMV officer and got info that if you have shopper’s card in your name from wegmans/Price Chopper OR make sure that you have landline phone or some utility bill on your name(H4), so you are eligible for a point.

New York H4 visa holders license point system got changed, you get only 3 not 4 points for Passport (Visa & i94).

Hi guys, I’m on H4 visa and have a valid Indian driving license. My visa is valid until dec’12 so the DMV in Wisconsin denied issuing me a driving license (requires at least 6months stay remaining). Can I drive the car on my Indian driving license ? Please advice. Thanks, Rashi

By any chance, do you know the process in Wisconsin? Here the (not very helpful) guy at DMV gave me a list of documents of which proof of legal presence, and proof of address were not an issue, but I have no doc listed under proof of id. (I am on H4) And from my research in forums, I also came to know that they do not accept SSN denial letter here in Wisconsin (which I should verify). I really appreciate if you can share any info on this! Thanks!

Saurabh, Thanks for your immediate response. My husband went again to the DMV today and thankfully there was a different person who took time to enquire. Like you said, my passport indeed served as the proof of id. In addition to this, our auto insurance cards (which had my name) bailed me out. Now I am all set to take on the test. Thanks again for your reply!

Rohini, Some/several DMV employees do not know what different visa categories are and what can be accepted from them in terms of id/address proof. Glad you found an employee who was better informed than the first one.

I got my drivers license from Texas recently.. I am on H4 visa. I filled the SSN waiver form which is available in the DPS office. Apart from this I filled the Drivers license form, and show the below original documents.

hello.i am 28 years old.i am greek-american with us passport,birth certificate from new jersey and sscard.i haven’t a driver license here.i will come in nyc and gonna live in my friend’s house.how to prove my residency at dmv when i”ll apply?also i read in dmv page tha only for Enhanced Driver License have to prove it.for thr regular driver license have to prove my birth and my identity.(http://www.dmv.ny.gov/idlicense.htm).help me please.thanks

I am on H4 visa status in chicago. I had gone to the illionios secretary of state to apply for my state Id card with the foll documents: 1. Passport for verification of written signature as well as DOB 2. SSN ineligibility letter from the SSA . 3. lease agreement with in my name as a proof of residency. Well at the office i was told that i need to have a tempory visitors driving license (TVDL) to apply for state id. As per the http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/idcards.html site , i have provided all the documents. So would anyone know if i need to apply for a TVDL in order to apply for a state Id? or are the above documents enough?

I got Learners permit on valid h4 visa and is valid till 2013. Next month I did schedule a road test. But my problem is I got my H1b Visa approved on Feb 1 2012, so do i need to apply for new license and take written test or do i need to continue taking road test and then show them status change. Please advice on this.

Hi, i have to ask questions regarding driving license document requirements. i am an h4 visa holder. i got married from india and came to colorado denver 6 months before. my spouse is an h1b visa holder. i would like to write learners test for driving now. I want to know what is Individual tax identification number and is that required for h4 visa holders and how and when to apply for the same? My visa will get expired on 30 th september 2011. wheather am able to learn driving before that period? i would appreciate if i get answers to my questions.

Individual tax identification number: On H-4, you are not eligible for SSN. In lieu you can apply for ITIN, which can be used for tax purposes. So if your husband wants to file his tax return as married and jointly, then you need to have an ITIN. It is not mandatory, but is a must when filing tax return as married and jointly.

You mentioned that your visa is expiring on 30th september 2011. Did you mean 2012? Whether you will be able to learn driving or not will depend upon how quickly you pick it up. If you have driven in India, then learning driving here is pretty easy. Most of the cars are on automatic transmission, and so you don’t need to worry about clutch and gear. Just learn the rules and follow them while giving your test. If you want, you can take 1-2 hour learning session from a driving school.

Hi I am going to US in H1B visa and my husband is going as H4 for his study of full time MBA. I want to know can he work after his study(Can he convert his H4 visa to H1). If yes please let me know the process and documents requirment